ESU Recognizes Award Winners at 29th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania recognized the winners for the 2026 Boddie Scholarship, Martin Luther King Jr. awards, and the Julianna and Wayne Bolt Art Contest. The recipients were honored at the 29^th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Breakfast on January 19.

Boddie Scholarship Recipients

The Mary Gertrude Smith Boddie Scholarship Fund provides financial assistance to undergraduate students who demonstrate a commitment to social justice through community and/or university service. In 1904, Ms. Boddie was the first African American student to graduate from what was then known as East Stroudsburg State Normal School, which ultimately became East Stroudsburg University in 1983.

The Mary Gertrude Smith Boddie Scholarship recipients are Khaleel Theophile, a junior majoring in computer science from Sicklerville, N.J.; Miguel Charlery is a junior majoring in business management from St. Lucia; T’kyla Moody, a junior majoring in criminal justice from Philadelphia, Pa.; and Celeste Yunez-Cosme, a junior biology major from Whitehall, Pa. The four students each received a $4,200 scholarship award for the spring 2026 semester.

Theophile has found purpose through campus involvement and community outreach during his time at ESU. Theophile was born in New Jersey, but his earliest memories were of being raised in Haiti by his Godmother. He moved to the United States in 2010 after a devastating earthquake in Haiti. With a thick accent and a sense of displacement, he tried to assimilate to American life. Slowly losing parts of his Haitian identity attempting to fit in, Theophile felt disconnected from his family in friends in both countries. After returning to Haiti to attend a wedding as a teenager, Theophile reconnected with his homeland and began to relearn Creole. It was then he realized he didn’t have to choose between two identities. He continued through school quiet and reserved. East Stroudsburg University gave Theophile a blank slate to metamorphize into a better version of himself, where he leads with purpose, showing up, listening, and creating space for others.

Charlery is a member of the ESU’s track and field team and a leadership council representative where he mentors teammates, promotes inclusion, and advocates for mental health support. His athletic achievements include two school records, a conference championship, and representing ESU in regional and national competitions. Charlery’s passion for service began in Saint Lucia, where he organized community fundraisers, led donation drives for hurricane-affected regions, and helped revamp sports facilities to create safe spaces for youth. He has hosted sports clinics and assisted programs that provide scholarships for Saint Lucian athletes to study abroad. Having been described as “very organized, disciplined and focused,” “a joy to watch,” and “a force to be reckoned with,” Charlery is resilient, excels academically and athletically and serves his community. His life mission is to inspire change, lead with compassion, and use his platform to uplift others.

Moody is a member of the Student Government Association. In this role Moody works to ensure student concerns are addressed and represented. Since high school, Moody has sought out opportunities to gain practical experience in the legal and civic fields including observing courtroom proceedings and gaining insight into the responsibilities and ethics needed in the justice system, working with legislators to provide resources to community members to promote civic engagement, and volunteering with  A.T.T.R.A.C.T. Philly, an organization that empowers underserved youth through free educational, cultural, and health-based programs. Moody is committed to using education, leadership, and service experiences to advance fairness and positive change in both her community and society as a whole. Her goal is to become an attorney who advocates justice, equity, and community empowerment.

Yunez-Cosme comes from a Puerto Rican and Colombian heritage. Growing up in a large family with a spectrum of skin colors, she quickly learned that love and respect surpass surface differences. Yunez-Cosme’s commitment to cultural diversity and equality is best reflected through engagement with organizations that empower minority voices. As a member of MANA and involvement with National Hispanic Institute (NHI), she has been able to participate in mentorship and events dedicated to lifting young women of color. These experiences furthered her understanding that true equality requires dedicated support systems that see and value every individual’s background. Growing up she went with her mother to her grandmother’s doctors’ appointments. It was then she saw how her grandmother, who speaks little English, would struggle to receive adequate care if she and her mother had not been there to translate. Seeing how language barriers limited her access to quality healthcare pushed Yunez-Cosme to pursue a career as a physician’s assistant, where she hopes to bridge the gap for others. To further that goal, she joined ESU’s sign language club to expand her ability to communicate with and advocate for more patients in the future.

Martin Luther King Jr. Award Recipients

The Martin Luther King Jr. Award recipients exemplify the characteristics of Dr. King’s philosophy of non-violence, equality, justice, cultural diversity and respect for humanity. Awards were presented to ESU student, Mariam Juya; a member of ESU’s faculty, Dr. Samuel Ebow Quainoo; and a member of the local community, Charece N. Sanders.

Mariam Juya is a doctoral student at East Stroudsburg University where her dissertation research examines psychological distress, war-related trauma, and healthcare access among refugees in the United States. Her academic path began in biological sciences. She earned her B.S. in biology with a concentration in pre-medicine and her M.S. in biological and physical sciences. She worked as a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, contributing to transplant immunology research with liver transplant patients.

As a refugee herself, Juya brings academic training and lived experience to her current work. Her family has long held an unwavering voice for education and equality for the people of Afghanistan, transferring these steadfast beliefs to the next generation. This personal history motivates her commitment to refugee advocacy and her determination to give voice to displaced communities.

Juya has dedicated her career to service and advocacy. As an AmeriCorps supervisor in California and Utah, she led service teams on community projects. In Guatemala and Peru, she conducted clinical research, health education, and healthcare with underserved populations. She has supported refugee resettlement efforts across the United States, including in Chicago, Harrisburg, and Alexandria, helping newly arrived families build new lives in America, and has presented her research on refugee mental health to raise awareness regarding the challenges facing displaced communities.

As an undergraduate student, Juya served as an ESU trustee advocating for student voice and student services. She has held leadership positions in organizations focused on international clean water access and gender equality. She volunteers with the Pocono Valley Environmental Network, supporting clothing drives and food pantry efforts. Juya advocates for universal healthcare, gender equality, and humanitarian rights.

She aspires to become a faculty member dedicated to research and teaching across behavioral, biological, and social sciences while mentoring students committed to serving marginalized populations and continuing to advocate within her community.

Dr. Samuel Ebow Quainoo is a distinguished scholar, educator, and global advocate for democracy, justice, and cultural understanding. He earned his B.A. (Honors) from the University of Ghana, completed Level 1 of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) in England, and obtained his M.A. and Ph.D. from Binghamton University. Dr. Quainoo currently serves as professor and chair of the Department of Political Science and Economics at East Stroudsburg University.

An accomplished author, he has published three books with the State University of New York Press: Transitions and Consolidation of Democracy in Africa, Africa Through Ghanaian Lenses, and Politics 111. His scholarship reflects a deep commitment to democratic governance, African politics, and civic education. He is also a recipient of three Fulbright-Hays National Grants from the U.S. Department of Education and directed Fulbright-Hays study programs in Ghana from 2000 to 2002.

Dr. Quainoo is a founding member of the statewide Frederick Douglass Institute and the founder and first director of the Frederick Douglass Institute at ESU, where he served for eight years. His global engagement includes being one of eight experts invited in 2018 by the Prime Minister of Iceland to help re-draft Iceland’s constitution and serving as a delegate to multiple World Summits of Nobel Laureates across Europe, Africa, and Latin America.

A dedicated mentor, Dr. Quainoo has supported over 40 Ghanaian international students and established the Anna Quainoo Scholarship for international students at ESU. His career exemplifies a lifelong commitment to education, democratic values, and cross-cultural dialogue.

Charece N. Sanders is the president and founder of The Metamorphosis Women’s Empowerment Initiative, a nonprofit organization committed to empowering women by dismantling barriers to well-being, discrimination, and social exclusion. The organization serves as a catalyst for positive change by providing advocacy, support, and empowerment to women of all ages, ethnicities, socio-economic backgrounds, and life experiences as they navigate personal transitions and challenges.

Charece’s passion for advocacy began at the age of 14 while growing up in Harlem, New York City. Influenced by her inner-city experiences, she emerged as a strong voice for African American youth, serving as a writer, newspaper editor, youth activist, and advocate for teens who survived suicide attempts, rape, and sexual assault. Throughout her early work, she collaborated with youth organizations across New York City to develop impactful programs that supported teen mothers returning to school and entering the workforce, reduced teen pregnancy, addressed adolescent drug use and trafficking, and encouraged entrepreneurship among young adults.

Her commitment to service extends into a distinguished 22-year career in healthcare, where she worked as a medical assistant, phlebotomist, and ventilator/tracheostomy nurse caring for pediatric and adult patients with traumatic brain injuries. Charece believes strongly in leading by example and consistently strives to reflect the strength, resilience, and inner beauty of today’s woman.

In addition to her nonprofit leadership, Charece serves on the boards of The City of Hope and PA Treatment and Healing (PATH) and is an active member of numerous civic and advocacy organizations. Her work has earned widespread recognition, including multiple awards for excellence, health equity, and volunteer service. Through her lifelong dedication, Sanders continues to inspire meaningful change and advocate for stronger, healthier communities for women.

Julianna and Wayne Bolt Art Contest

There were 69 entries to the Julianna and Wayne Bolt art contest this year. The entries came from East Stroudsburg High School North, East Stroudsburg High School South, Stroudsburg High School, Pleasant Valley High School, and Pocono Mountain High School East. Payton Hoop from Pocono Mountain East High School, won first place; Vanessa Mirra from East Stroudsburg South High School earned second place; and Guinevere Neils from Stroudsburg High School was awarded third place. Grace Gao from Stroudsburg High School and Justin Acosta from East Stroudsburg South High School were each awarded honorable mention. All entries were displayed in ESU’s Madelon Powers Gallery after the Celebration Breakfast.

For information about the Boddie Scholarship, visit the ESU Foundation giving page or call (570) 422-3333. Photos from the 29th Annual Celebration Breakfast and the Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest gallery exhibit are also available online.

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